Toilet paper roll holder



Nov. 19, 1935.

L. N. HOFFMAN TOILET PAPER ROLL HOLDER Filed Aug. 15, 1934 INVENTOR.Zara/ ame /Z fioff/wa/z ATTORNE ported at their inner ends Patented Nov.19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,021,417 TOILET PAPER ROLL HOLDERLaurence N. Hoffman, Shelby,

The Shelby Metal Products Company,

Ohio, assignor to Shelby,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 13, 1934, Serial No.739,527

Claims.

. b1e of a long period of usage, and finally will be susceptible of asubstantial economy of manufacture. v

More detailed objects of the invention are,

first, to fabricate the holder from sheet metal parts; second, toassemble such parts in such a manner that no permanent or semi-permanentfasteners such as bols, rivets or welds will be nec essary; and,thirdly, to provide rigid bracket members or holder arms which arepivotally supand hence will not be subject to deformation by reason ofrepeated or excessive flexing.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for enclosing thespring element of the holder whereby the user of the device will not beliable to have his fingers cut or pinched therein.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various structural forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of the holder embodyirig the principleof my invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken upon a plane normal to Fig. 1and substantially along the line 2-2 thereof; Fig. 3 is a view taken ona plane normal to that of Fig. 2 and substantially upon the line 3-3thereof; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view I of the inner end ofone of the bracket members.

Now referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown therein abase member I which is channel-shaped in cross section. As shown in Fig.3, the outer or web portion of the channel of the base member I ispreferably of an arcuate form in order to present a smooth rounded outersurface and also to conform to the contour of the spring element, whichstructure will be later explained in further detail. The base member Iis adapted to be attached to a supporting surface (not shown) such as awall, a door or'even a table top, by reason of the provision of thelaterally extending lugs 2 with their apertures 3 on the edge of theflanges of the channel. Suitable screws, nails or bolts are of courseinserted through the apertures 3 and engage with the supporting surface.

A pair of bracket members or arms 4 project outwardly from the basemember I. Flanges 5 are provided on the sides of the arms 4 and serve 5the purpose of imparting adequate rigidity thereto. The outer ends ofthe arms 4 are in the form of the circular portion 6 in which inwardlyex.-' tending cylindrical or cup portions 1 have been formed. As shownin Fig. 1, it is the purpose of the cup portions 1 to project a slightdistance Within the hollow center or mandrel 8 of the toilet paper roll.The inner ends of the arms 4 have a pair of slots or apertures 9 whichare adapted to receive the hook-like projections I0 on each end of thebase member I. The connection formed by the reception of the projectionsIII in the slots 9 constitutes a pivotal point of support for the holderarms 4. A pair of link members ll having an enlarged outer end portionl2 are then adapted to be inserted through the apertures IS in the sidesof the arms 4. The end or head portions l2 of the links II are widerthan the slots or apertures I3, as shown in Fig. 2, and hence the linksII will in this manner be prevented from being drawn all the way throughthe slots I3 and thereby attached and connected to the holder arms 4.Apertures I4 are provided in the inner and adjacent ends of the links IIfor the reception of a coil spring I5.

It will thus be seen that the coil spring due to the holder arms 4serves the double function not only of imparting a tensional forceagainst the outward or spreading movement of the holder arms 4, but alsoserves the function of retaining all of the separate component parts ofthe device in assembled position.

It should also be noted that for the purposes of economy in conservingmaterial, that the links 40 l I may be stamped out of the sides of theholder arms 4 as indicated by the reference numeral IS in Fig. 3.

The operation of the holder is clearly illustrated by the dotted linesin Fig. 1 wherein the holder arms 4 are shown moved to an outward orspread position to celar the sides of the toilet paper roll and tothereby enable the convenient insertion and removal of the latter.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

2. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa channel-shaped base member adapted to be attached to a supportingsurface, a pair of bracket members having their inner ends pivotallyattached to the ends of said base member, and spring means positionedwithin the channel of said base member and connected to said bracketmembers at a point out- Wardly from their pivotal point of attachmentfor urging said bracket members toward each other.

3. In a toilet paper roll holder or the like, the combination of achannel-shaped base member adapted to be attached to a supportingsurface, hook-like projections on the ends of said base member, a pairof bracket members having apertures in their inner ends for thereception of said hook-like projections, and spring means positionedwithin the channel of said base member and connected to said bracketmembers for urging the latter toward each other.

4. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa channel-shaped base member adapted to be attached to a supportingsurface, a pair of bracket members having their inner ends abutting theends of said base member, said bracket members having openings in theirsides, a pair of link'members adapted to be inserted in said openings,enlarged end portions on said link members being wider than saidopenings for connecting said link member to said bracket members, andspring means positioned Within the channel of said base member andattached to said link members for urging said bracket members towardeach other.

5. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa channel-shaped base member adapted to be attached to a supportingsurface, hook-like projections on the ends of said base member, a pairof bracket members having apertures in their inner ends for thereception of said hook-like projections, said bracket members alsohaving openings in their sides, a pair of link members adapted to beinserted in said openings, enlarged end portions on said link membersbeing wider than said openings for connecting said link members to saidbracket members, and spring means position-ed within the channel of saidbase member and attached to said link members for urging said bracketmembers toward each other.

6. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa base member adapted to be attached to a supporting surface, a pair ofbracket members pivotally mounted at their inner ends to said basemember, said inner ends extending beyond the front face of said basemember and toward the supporting surface, and resilient means connectedto said bracket members at a point outwardly removed from said. innerends and adapted to urge the former toward each other.

'7. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa base member adapted to be attached to a supporting surface, a pair ofbracket members pivotally mounted at their inner ends to said basemember, said inner ends extending beyond the front face of said basemember and toward the supporting surface, resilient means connected tosaid bracket members at a point outwardly removed from said inner endsand adapted to urge the former toward each other, and stop means on saidbase member limiting the movement of said bracket members toward eachother.

8. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa base member adapted to be attached to a supporting surface, a pair ofbracket members pivotally mounted at their inner ends to said basemember, said inner ends extending beyond the front face of said basemember and toward the supporting surface, resilient means connected tosaid bracket members at a point outwardly removed from said inner endsand adapted to urge the former toward each other, said base membercompletely concealing said resilient means when in attached position.

9. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa base member adapted 4 to be attached to a supporting surface, a pairof bracket members pivotally mounted at their inner ends to said basemember, and resilient means connected to said bracket members at a pointoutwardly from the inner ends thereof and inwardly from the front faceof said base member, said resilient means being adapted to urge saidbracket members toward each other.

10. In a holder for a toilet paper roll and the like, the combination ofa base member adapted to be attached to a supporting surface, a pair ofrigid bracket members pivotally mounted at their inner ends to said basemember, and resilient means connected to said bracket members andadapted to urge the latter toward each other,

the side faces of said bracket members abutting against the ends of saidbase member when in normal position.

LAURENCE N. HOFFMAN.

